Wringer



W. L. KAUFFMAN. 2D

WRINGER Octl. 1940 Filed 1m} 11, 1938 Patented Oct. 1, 1940 WRINGER Walter L. Kauflman, 11, Erie, Pa., assignorto Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 11, 1938, Serial No. 207,335

7 Claiins.

Power driven wringers are usually providedwith some safety mechanism. One manner of effecting this result is to stop the rolls. The

present invention is designed to improve the Fig. 1 showsa front elevation of the wringer partly in section.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. l of 20 the control mechanism in neutral position.

Fig. 3 a similar view with the gear control mechanism in set position. I

Fig. 4 a plan view of a locking latch included in the control mechanism.

Fig. 5 a perspective view of the links and latch pin, the links supporting the wringer and the latch pin of I the control mechanism.

.Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the clutch block .30 with the actuating cam in neutral position.

, Fig. 8 a similar view with the clutch cam in set position.

I marks the base of the wringer frame, 2 a side stile remote from the driving end of the 35 wringer, 3 the side stile at the driving end of the wringer, 4 the lower roll, 5 the upperroll, 6 the shaft for. the lower roll, I the shaft of the upper roll, 8 bearings for the'shaft 6, 3 sliding bearings forthe shaft 1, ID .a pressure spring 40 resting on the bearing blocks 9, and II a handle for a screw (notshown) for adjusting the spring.

These are or may be of ordinary construction.

The top is of channel form with closed ends, and the top at the driving end of the wringer has a 45 shoulder [2 formed bystriking out a portion of the top and an interlocking shoulder I3 on the stile struck out from the outer wall of the stile. The opposite end of the wringer is provided with a reset lever M which is hinged at No on the 50 top bar. A link I5 is pivoted at IS on the lever l4 and at H on the stile, the link and lever forming a toggle by -means of which the top bar may be returned to set position after it is released by sJinging the reset lever.

1 55 The wringer is supported on a post IS. A head The driving mechanism of the.

extension i9 is swiveled on this post. A head is fixed on the extension. A drive shaft M is arranged in the extension. A bevel gear 22 is fixed on the shaft and the gear and shaft are journaled in a bearing 23 in the extension. Opposing reversing gears 24 are joumaled on a shaft 25, the shaft being journaled in bearings 26 in the head. A clutch block 21 is slidingly splined onthe shaft and has the usual annular groove 28 with side walls afiording means for 10 actuating the block, and clutch jaws are provided on 'the faces of the block and the gears for looking the block with the selected gear for driving the wringer in the direction desired. An eccentrio or cam 29 is arranged in the'groove 23.- This cam is of segmental shape having an arouate cam surface. moving the block intolocked position with a gear and this cam surface is centered when the central part of the cam is in engagement with the wall. The cam segment is of a length equal to the width of the groove 28 so that when'the segment is turned to release, or neutral position the ends of the cam segment engage both walls of the groove and thus hold the block in neutral position. This cam is mounted on a control shaft 30, this shaft being mounted in a bearing 3| secured on the head. The shaft. is provided with a handle 30a.

The shaft 25 extends into a coupling tube 32. The tube has axial slots 33 at each end. A pin 3! extends from the shaft 25 into the slots at one end of the tube and a pin 35 into the slots 33 at the opposite ends of the tube. The tube, and pins form a loose connectiomthus forming a universal coupling by which the wringer may be moved withoutbreaking the driving connection. Two pairs of links 36 (as shown horizontal links) connect the head with the frame. The inner ends of the links are pivotally secured by pins 31 which extend through the links, and ears 31a, on a securing plate 31b on the stile 3. The opposite ends of the links are pivoted by means of pins 38 which extend through the .links and ears 39 on the head. By this link mechanism the wringer is movably connected with the head and so connected as to move from position to position in parallel. As a result the movement of the wringer is equally sensitive throughout its length. Preferably the links 36 at one side are connected by plate 36a. This stiifens the links and makes a more rugged connection. A latch plate Mi is fixed on the shaft 3|]. It is provided with two notches 4| these I being placed with relation to a latch bolt 42 to position the shaft and throw the gears into one 55 or the other of their set positions. The bolt 42 is mounted on a bracket 43. The bracket 43 is secured by screws 43a. on the head. The bracket 43 has a slot' 44, and bolts 45 extend through the latch bolt 42 and the slot so as to make a sliding connection between the bolt and the bracket. One of the bolts is extended forming a trip pin 46 which pin is in the path of arms 41 extending from the upper side links. A spring 48 yieldingly forces the latch bolt 42 into locking engagement. A movement of the links and consequently one of the arms 41 retracts the bolt to release the latching engagement. Limiting pins 49 extend upwardly from the latch plate 40 and engage shoulders 50a on a spring member 50. The spring member has cross arms and a slot 5| which permits the plate to straddle the shaft 30. The cross arms engage hooked stops 52 at the top of posts 53 extending up from the head. Springs 54 extend from the opposite cross arms of the plate 5|] and are secured to a plate 55 secured by the bolts 43a.

In operation the handle 30a is moved to throw the gears in either direction desired. As the shaft swings the locking plate through the outwardly moving pin 49 acting on the shoulder 50a rocks the spring member fulcrumed on the opposite stop 52. The turning movement is continued until one of the notches 4| is brought into register with the bolt 42. This locks the reversing gear in set position and the wringer is ready for action. Should the operator become I caught and pull the wringer this movement of head for the wringer frame, and reversing gear the wringer swinging the links 36 carries one of the arms 41 against the pin 46 and retracts the latch bolt 42 out of the notch and the springs 54 snap the spring member to return position against the stop 52 and this movement swings the shaft 30 and the eccentric 29 to release position. Thus the wringer is stopped. If desired, the handle may be grasped and swung to reverse position so as to reverse the direction of the rolls.

The eccentric 29 has an arcuate actuating surface which as it is swung moves the clutch block in one direction, or the other and the engaging surface of the eccentric centers with the shaft with relation to the direction of movement of the block so that any pressure on the surface by reason of gear thrust has no tendency to swing the shaft. When the eccentric is moved to release position, the ends of the cam segment are oppositely arranged against the walls of the groove 28 and in as much as the shaft 30 is centered through the action of the shoulders 50a on the spring plate 50 on the plns 49 these ends of the cam segment prevent any movement of the clutch block away from neutral.

It will be noted that in the present structure the gear mechanism comprising several gears are all on fixed axes relatively to the head, thus simplifying and making a rugged structure, and

the operation of the wringer is at the center position so that there is a release by moving the wringer either forward or back. Ordinarily this movement is toward the operator as the operator commonly and instinctively pulls against the continued entrance into the rolls.

What I claim as new is: I 1. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a mounting support and mechanism in the head comprising driving, reversing and driven gears rotating on axes fixed with relation to the head, said mechanism having a driving connection with the rolls, the combination with said mounting support and head, frame, rolls and gear mechanismof links connecting said wringer frame to said mounting support for movement from one position relative to said mounting support to another position relative to said mounting support that is parallel to said first-named position; and devices actuated by such a movement of the wringer frame with relation to the head, said mechanism having a driving connection with the rolls, the combination with said mounting support and head, frame, rolls and gear mechanism of means connecting said wringer frame to said mounting support comprising paralleling swinging links,

said links compelling a movement from one position relative to said mounting support to another position relative to said mounting support that is parallel to said first-named position; and devices actuated by such a movement of the wringer frame for controlling the mechanism.

3. In awringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a mounting support and head for the wringer frame, and reversing gear mechanism in the head comprising driving, re-

versing and driven gears rotating on axes fixed with relation to the head, said mechanism having a driving connection with the rolls, the combination with said mounting support and head, frame, rolls and gear mechanism of means connecting said wringer frame to said mounting support comprising paralleling swinging links, said links compelling a movement from one position relative to said mounting support to another position relative to said mounting support that is parallel to said first-named position; and devices operated by the links normally maintaining the wringer frame in operative position intermediate the extremes of the wringer frame movement.-

4. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a mounting support and head for the wringer frame, and reversing gear mechanism in the head comprising driving, re-' versing and driven gears rotating on axes fixed with relation to the head, said mechanism having a driving connection with the rolls, the combination with said mounting support and head, frame, rolls and gear mechanism of means connecting said wringer frame to said mounting support comprising paralleling swinging links, said links compelling a movement from one posi-v tion relative to said mounting support to another position relative to said mounting support that is parallel to said first-named position; devices operated by the links normally'maintaining' the wringer frame in operative position intermediate the extremes of thewringer movement; and devices responsivefto the wringer frame movement controlling the gear mechanism.

5. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a mounting support and head for the wringer frame, a reversing gear mechanism including opposingreversing gears, a clutch block movable between the gears, said gears and block having engageable jaws and the block being provided with an annular groove, said reversing,geanmechanism'having a driving connection with the rolls, the combination with said mounting support and head. frame, rolls and gear mechanism of a rotatable eccentric in the form of a cam segment arranged entirely at one side of its axis operating in the groove in the block, said cam segment having an arcuate cam actuating surface engaging a wall of the groove, toward the point of engagement with the block and setting the block-in blocked engagement with one of said gears with the center of the arcuate surface in engagement with the wall, the ends of the eccentrichaving relation to the groove to engage both walls of the groove when the eccentric is moved to release position.

6. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in the frame, a mounting support and head for the wringer frame, a movable connection between the mounting support and the p 3 by simultaneous movement of the wringer frame and both rolls for releasing the latch bolt.

7. In a wringer having a wringer frame, rolls mounted in -the frame, a mounting support and head for the wringer frame, a movable connection between the mounting support and the wringer frame, a reversing gear mechanism in the head, a driving connection between the gear mechanism and'the rolls; and a reversing shaft movable thereby; stops for the spring plate; and.

springs operating on each end of the plate for returning the same to initial position against the stops when the shaft is released, said movement of the spring plate returning the reversing shaft to position releasing the gear mechanism;

' WALTER L. KAUFFMAN, II. 

